


A wrestle in the rubble

by Feelingsinwinter



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: And Tony's a little shit, Bucky's an idiot, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Identity Porn, M/M, Natasha Is a Good Bro, Or maybe they're just both idiots, Secret Identity, Which is a good probability, this is honestly more sappy feelings, with coffee shop inside
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-06 01:33:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11025813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feelingsinwinter/pseuds/Feelingsinwinter
Summary: Bucky had been in love for Iron Man since... probably the beginning, really. The thing is... he doesn't know who is Iron Man which is kind of a problem when it comes to dating. There's also someone else he really, really likes but... well they're civilian so, you know. But when a pointy elbow comes into the game, it changes everything. Yeah, you understood right. An elbow. Or, really, it's the story of how ribs and elbow met and started the sappiest relationship ever.





	A wrestle in the rubble

**Author's Note:**

> I've posted it some time ago on Tumblr but I realized after all the mistakes I've made on it so... if you can read it now, it's because of the amazing [Arwenxs](http://arwenxs.tumblr.com) who made it all pretty for you. Thank you so much for everything you do!
> 
> I hope you will like it, it was my first attempt at Identity Porn!

**1**

 

His crush was getting out of hand.

Beside him, Steve was trying to keep his laughter under control but there was only so much the punk could do while literally shaking from repressed laughter.

There was so much he wanted to say, to do, but there was one thing in his path, one bridge he couldn’t cross.

Their secret identities.

In a team of superheroes, they all knew each other pretty well, could joke without hitting too many sore spots, chat over the coms like an old band of friends. But they didn’t know who everyone actually was. Which name was written on the letter box in front of their house, what name they were called by their friends when they were living a nice, normal life among their peers.

They could all make assumptions but there was only so much you could guess from small hints and slips. There was no way Bucky was going to mess with it by knocking on some poor guy’s door and asking him if he was spending his free time fighting super villains.

One way to blow his own cover, for fuck’s sake.

But damn, if there was one person capable of making him do it, it definitely was Iron Man.

Sitting in front of them and beside the Black Widow, the armored hero was talking with her in such an easy way it was a small wonder. The Widow was many things, but talkative wasn’t one of them, yet she had a weird kind of relationship with Iron Man. One could almost call it friendship if the Black Widow hadn’t been involved. Everyone knew the woman didn’t do friendship. Yet, the way she kept reaching out to touch the metal covered thigh, a small, almost not there, smile pulling the corner of her lips. She was looking at the helmet like she knew who was behind it, and maybe she did.

With a groan, Bucky crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, or what was left of it. It wasn’t that he was jealous but he couldn’t help but wish he and Iron Man were that much at ease, the one that was on the other end of Iron Man’s laugh, the one that made him laugh in the first place. The one that made his voice change that slightest bit that meant the man behind the mask was smiling. The one that touched that metal covered thigh and leant in to whisper something closer to the man’s ear.

He wanted it so hard, wanted to know so bad, it was a physical pain. Like a blow to the chest.

Steve elbowed him..

“What about that cutie you talked about the other day?”

Yeah, right. Knife. Wound. Twist it. Nice blow, Stevie.

With a grunt, Bucky stood and moved to another piece of rubble farther away to sit. He didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to remember that he actually had crushes on two fucking people and he could have none of them.

Not that the guy at the coffee shop was any superhero, mind you, but he was a damn civilian to begin with.  And Bucky was actually doing a dangerous job. He had seen enough families crying their eyes out when someone had to tell them they wouldn’t see their wife, husband, sister, brother, daughter or son anymore. And he wasn’t sure if anyone on the team could actually inform a family about that kind of significant event. But even aside from all that, he didn’t want to burden anyone with himself as a boyfriend, or even as a friend. He wasn’t all rainbow and sunshine, more like Brooding & Co.

This guy was the kind you didn’t want to see cry. Ever.

Well, maybe some creepy crappy guy out there did want to but he, actually, did not. There was so much brilliance in his eyes he didn’t want to imagine a world with them dimmed by grief or brightened by tears. His beauty when they sparkled with mischief each time he was about to tell one of his damn jokes, pun or innuendo, was worth waking up at six o’clock in the morning.

The loud clank of Iron Man’s boots startled him out of his thoughts. He raised his head, eyes falling on the smooth expanse of metal that was the man’s helmet. Gold and red. Such beautiful colors. He hadn’t thought it at first, convinced it was arrogant but getting to know Iron Man changed his mind.

“Cleaning arrived?” he asked, clearing his throat when he heard his own cracked voice.

“Nah,” came the computerized voice, “I just saw how you left Cap. Trouble in paradise?”

Behind his thick goggles, Bucky blinked and answered without thinking: “If anything, I wouldn’t call living with Cap a paradise. A coffee and a cinnamon roll, _that_ would be the paradise. Having to kick his ass each time he does something reckless? More like a chore.”

That tore a startled laugh out of Iron Man which made Bucky’s lips twitch slightly. He shifted to leave enough space for the big man to sit beside him and patted the spot without looking at him.

“Sit down.”

“Asked so nicely, how could I refuse?”

The snort came out naturally and he let him settle, the sound of iron against concrete grating against his sensitive hearing.

“So, why did you run away from the Widow? Realized she’s gonna eat ya?”

This time, the elbow that dug into his ribs was made of iron and particularly pointy. He yelped and swatted the arm away with a glare. Knowing it wasn’t going to be noticed behind his goggles only made him more annoyed.

“Asshole,” he grumbled.

Beside him, the armor whirred and whistled as Iron Man extended his right leg, leaning slightly backward to rest his elbows on the concrete. He almost looked at ease. Almost.

Bucky’s smirk hadn’t gone unnoticed and he was sure Iron Man was actually glaring at him. It seems like they were taking turns now, to Bucky’s satisfaction.

“Ah, I see,” Bucky drawled, eyeing the injured leg. “I wouldn’t want the Widow as a caregiver either.”

“At least you understand.”

The relieved sigh made him smile even wider.

“No, I don’t.”

Beside him, the helmet made a sound when it turned toward him, he felt like he was being glared at.

“What makes you think I’m better than her?” Said Bucky, a mischievous smile on his lips as he turned slightly to the left, towards the rest of the team, where Steve was now talking with Hawkeye and Widow. The Winter Soldier took a big intake of breath and yelled: “Hey, Wido-”.

The air was knocked right out of him when a red and gold armor tackled him to the ground with a shout of betrayal.

 

**2**

 

It had taken quite a lot of determination to wake up the day after the fight.

When the cleaning team had come, they had helped as much as they could. Before, at the beginning, they would have started clearing away the rubble right away after the fight. But after one particularly bad event where someone had swiped the wrong piece of rubble, they preferred to wait. It was apparently a good thing.

People liked responsible heroes accepting that they weren’t perfect and needed to be guided when they were not fighting. Good publicity. And a time of rest after the fight. It wasn’t even expected of them to actually help with the cleaning but, once again, good publicity.

That and their conscious, too. They just couldn’t leave the battlefield to the others without helping themselves. Except when one or more of them were actually badly injured.

They had finished around two in the morning. Which meant barely three to four hours of sleep before he had to wake up again, sore everywhere and feeling like someone was trying to drill a hole in his skull.

The good thing was that now he had a good, warm coffee in his hands. He was sitting in his usual spot at the coffee shop and waiting for his curly haired wonder to make an appearance.

The weather outside was pretty cold, making him hope that Iron Man had stayed at home and wasn’t wandering around with an injured leg. All he wanted to do was to barge into the guy’s house and take care of him like he used to with Steve back in the day. But he didn’t knew the fella’s name, nor did he knew where he lived, so there was that.

At least he had the possibility of seeing his small miracle this morning.

But said small wonder was late.

If he had to believe his phone, he was approximately twelve minutes late. And that was _a lot_. Bucky was at his second coffee, his knee jerking chaotically under the table, nerves tensing at the prospect of not seeing Cutie this time. The tenseness was nothing in the light of the fear that came crawling up to him.

He was a mother-hen, he knew that, he couldn’t help but take care of those he cared about and both the Iron Man and curly haired wonder were among them. What if he was actually hurt somewhere? Sick, maybe? Unless… unless he had found another coffee shop? And Bucky would never know?

He lowered his eyes, glaring into his cup.

Twenty-two minutes after his usual arrival, though, curly haired wonder came through the door.

Bucky let out a relieved sigh and settled comfortably in his booth, trying to stare without being too obvious. Damn, the guy was a sight for sore eyes and a tired soul.

Today, he was wearing one of those relaxed outfits that screamed “expensive” yet looked simple. A nice fitting pair of jeans that hugged his thighs just the right way, showed off muscles and revealed a trim, delicious waist. The shirt fitted tight enough to let his imagination run wild and the jacket highlighted the wide, strong shoulders. Sunglasses hid the warm eyes, the bright, warm brown.

Bucky still couldn’t quite find the right shade. Some days, sunny days, they were a whiskey shade that brightened his face so much. And when he smiled, it was a wonder in itself, the soldier couldn’t help but stare. Other days, they were a warm, deep shade of brown that spread heat through Bucky’s chest, making him feel all soft and weak in the knees.

Walking slowly in his sneakers, Cutie ran a hand through his soft, curly, dark hair and Bucky had to sip his coffee to keep himself from moaning dumbly in want. Damn what would he give to do it himself. Carding his fingers through the thick curls on top of that handsome face, maybe go a little farther down and brush against the neatly trimmed goatee. And then run his thumb along those damnable lips.

As if aware of being stared at, Cutie turned his head toward him.

For a full second, Bucky was sure they made eye-contact. It was hard to say, what with the sunglasses, but Cutie was definitely looking his way.

With a small smile, feeling braver than he had felt the days before, he reached up and carded his hand through his own hair, feeling the long strands running between his fingers. Staring at him with his mouth agape before catching himself, Cutie snorted loud enough for Bucky to hear him. Bucky shot one of his charming smiles and winked at him, hoping to get a reaction but the barista called Cutie’s attention and that was it.

Grumbling lightly into his coffee, Bucky let it go for now. It wasn’t his best move, maybe, but at least he made him laugh, or close to it. It was still something.

Shame those glasses were there though, he would have loved to see how his eyes had crinkled and the golden sparkles in them.

“Hey,” the voice was warm and he could almost hear the smile in it. And it was right there when he raised his head, looking at Cutie coming his way in careful steps, he was limping a little bit, maybe the reason for his lateness ? “the seat’s tak-”

The yelp was almost as charming as the way he had time to catch a glimpse of the wide opened eyes when the guy slipped on the floor and fell.

All Bucky could do was to grab the cup of coffee before it went down too and spilled it’s hot content on its hot owner.

It took him a full second before what happened hit him entirely and he looked down. Sprawled on the floor, his glasses askew, looking like he couldn’t believe what had happen to him, was Cutie.

“You okay, down there?” He asked, still holding the coffee and not knowing how exactly this was his life.

The groan he got in answer was oddly expressive. Setting the coffee cup on the table, he helped the guy stand and guided him to the seat next to him.

Rubbing his sore leg, wonder-boy side-eyed him.

“So… you saved the coffee first?”

Holy shit, the irony was biting and Bucky shouldn’t love it that much. And that slight grin curving the man’s lips was doing funny things to his belly. That was actually concerning.

Fighting to keep his composure, Bucky drawled: “Their coffee’s worth the trouble…”

The sunglasses folded on the jacket’s front pocket, Bucky had an open view to those wonderful eyes. And they went comically wide as the guy put a hand on his chest, acting dramatically offended.

“I should be annoyed,” he said slowly. He then dropped the act and finished with a shrug: “but you’re actually right.”

Bringing his coffee cup toward him, Cutie gulped down half of it and winced at the heat but looked a little bit better for wear.

He was apparently one of those guys that felt better the instant coffee touched their tongue. Not that Bucky could talk, considering he was one of them too. Even if, sometimes, hot cocoa had his preferences.

“So… you’re clumsy like that all the time or it was just for me and you were hoping I’d catch you?”

Beside him, the man squawked and elbowed him, the hard bone hitting between his ribs with awful accuracy.

Yelping, Bucky swatted the arm away with a glare, rubbing his sore side with his other hand.

He was still glaring when he realized Cutie was staring at him, wide eyed before a low smirk started to creep his way to his lips. The mischievous look was less appealing now that it was directed at him.

“You know,” he said while leaning toward him with the look of the cat that got the cream, “I always wondered how your eyes looked when you were glaring at us behind your goggles.”

And just like that, Bucky knew he was well and truly fucked. But he was very much happy to be.

 

***

 

Later that day, while walking down the street toward Steve and Bucky’s place, they came across the newspapers.

They were all full of pictures of Iron Man and the Winter Soldier wrestling in the rubble. Some were shouting about irresponsible heroes, others were already speaking of a rift in the team, of dissension. Those with a good angle and a view on the Winter Soldier’s lower face had another hypothesis.

Obviously laughing his ass off, the feared Winter Soldier was trying to free himself with the efficiency of a three year old. The title and the text below were sweet as sugar.

In the following hour, it found itself stapled to Bucky’s bedroom’s wall next to his headboard.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [Tumblr](http://feelingsinwinter.tumblr.com)! Lots of love! <3


End file.
